The final two days of Ayyám-i-Há this year saw the descent of 15 youth from all over Northern Ireland upon the “Solar House” in Magherafelt. The main focus was fasting and the link between individual spiritual growth and our special role as Bahá'ís at this crucial time in humanity’s development. Comparing the act of fasting to that of following the guidance of the Universal House of Justice in relation to the four core activities was interesting, and dvds of Counsellor Birklands talks at the London conference were used to reinforce the links between these two crucial aspects of being a Bahá'í. It can be easy to forget the connection between spiritual acts such as praying and fasting, and more worldly acts such as teaching children’s classes and animating junior youth groups but the experiences of some of the youth on their pilgrimages seemed to pull these two factors together.
“It was interesting to hear about others people’s experiences on pilgrimage” stated one of the youth. “Mine was basically the same, but it was still interesting because my own was ages ago.”
Here are a selection of reflections from the participants:
“Since this is my first fast, it was kind of essential that I learned a bit about it, and I think the weekend prepared me for the Fast a little bit because now I know why I’m doing it. It’s more than just not eating, though knowing that hasn’t made it any easier!”
“As the weekend was at the time of Ayyám-i-Há, I found that it was great to cover the topic of the fast in detail. It gave me a much better knowledge of the reasons we have to fast, why the fast is when it is and the connections between the material fast and the spiritual benefits, how fasting is a great way to detach yourself from the things of this world and draw yourself closer to God. Rather than just not eating and drinking because we are told we should, which serves no real purpose. I found that this was the most interesting part of the youth weekend”
“I learnt facts about the Fast, including the four-day period before the beginning of the Fast and the purpose of the Fast. It was great to hear about different people's experiences in Haifa.”
“Hearing the points made at the London conference reinforced again was quite good. Playing ultimate frisbee in the garden was great and going for a walk in the rain at night was also pretty fun!”
“I am not really religious and never have been, but have always been interested in religion and have always had religious friends who have tried to convert me. Personally I would see the Bahá’í faith to be the only religion that I can’t "poke holes in". I love challenging what people think and so far haven't been able to throw a question that can’t be answered sensibly, which I find very impressive. I don't think I’ll be fasting any time soon, although I was impressed to hear that all the correct precautions were in place to exempt those who are not in a fit state to undergo the fast. This backs up my opinion of the Bahá’í faith as a "common sense religion" which is not meant in a derogatory way at all! Nothing I hear at Bahá’í youth weekends makes me instantly want to disagree, in fact I find myself nodding along in most cases, which is indeed a rare situation for me. This may be off topic but I have never met a Bahá’í that I haven't got along with, which is astounding.”
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